Survive the Night
by Mabel4gs
Summary: Meryl is leaving for good, and Vash asks to accompany her back to the city. Why, you ask? Because there is just so much that can be accomplished when you're stranded in the middle of nowhere at night with no heat. R for obviously thin setup and...wink
1. Survive the Night Cold

I got a little frustrated writing my other Trigun fic, so I decided to take a little break and do a lemony style piece. Course...it could be because of some other type of frustration...but that's a whole nother issue. This kind of came out like train of thought and I do tend to ramble on and on. I think this is probably the loooongest lemon ever. (Snickers are own lame joke) Oh, well, you'll get the idea. Oh yeah, I'm also a sucker for fluffy angst and tension. You have been warned! Enjoy.  
  
Don't own it. Don't care. Don't sue.  
  
One more thing. I know how some of your minds work. Don't just skip to the end for the goodies! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat? Ah, shutting up now. R & R, kudasai! Oyasumi nasai, Gracie.  
  
**************************************************************************** *****  
  
It was chilly...a little too chilly for this time of year, but then again, night on the open desert had drastically different temperature changes compared to inside the mountain ranges. A steady wind swirled the sand around in frigid tornados across the dark landscape. Even the stars glittered like ice tonight against the frozen night blue backdrop of the sky. In the midst of the cold sat a little house...well a two-room shack really, which creaked with the wind as though it too was shivering from the weather.  
Inside the shack were huddled two equally cold people.  
"C-cold. I'm s-so c-c-cold!" Meryl chattered, holding her hands out as close to the light lamp as she could to try and warm them. "Danm it! Why isn't this getting hot? I'm freezing!"  
"It's a light wave based conductor, it's not suppose to get too hot. That's just the way it was designed." Vash answered her calmly.  
The blonde gunfighter was sitting against the opposite wall with a thick blanket wrapped tightly around his tall frame.  
Meryl glared icy daggers at him and he cowered under the blanket. "Well, you asked!" he laughed nervously.  
"Then why did you bring it?" she hissed, "If it doesn't give out any heat, what good is it right now, even if it is lost technology?"  
"Well..geez Meryl, I brought it so we could see. Just relax, ok, the more you think about the cold, the worse it will be. We're only here for one night, anyway. We're actually lucky this house was here."  
"Urrghh!" she growled in frustration, squeezing her own blanket around her shoulders and plopping down in the dirt floor on the other side of the room. "Of all the people to get stuck with out in the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold desert with no source of heat, I had to get stuck with that stupid broom-head! I swear if we get out of this mess, I'm going to strangle him! Oh, what am I talking about...we're gonna freeze to death out here. How did you get us into this mess!?"  
Vash put a hand behind his head and laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that, I guess it was a slight miscalculation on my part. It'll be ok, really, it's actually not as cold as all that. You just need to calm down a little." Opps..I guess that was the wrong thing to say...  
The steam rising from Meryl's ears made her look like a boiling teakettle, but she was too angry to notice. She stood up and marched over to where Vash cringed against the drafty wall.  
"A...slight...miscalculation!" she seethed, "SLIGHT!!! We're nearly 500 iles off course, you dingbat! That's not what I'd call a slight miscalculation! What! Were you completely drunk! And what do you mean, it's not that cold, did your brains get freezer burn or something?!"  
Vash raised his hands up in defense, "Hey now, take it easy there. I was trying to get your mind on something else beside the cold, that's all, honest!"  
Meryl was just about to go off on another tirade when she noticed something odd. Vash's blanket had slipped down off his shoulders, and all he was wearing was his black desert suit, which exposed his arms to the air. Even so, Vash didn't make any attempt to cover himself up again; in fact, he wasn't shivering or reacting to the cold at all. It was like, he hadn't even noticed the blanket was off. He wasn't cold at all! Her eyebrow quirked.  
"All right, mister hot pants," she barked pointing a finger at him, "what gives? Why is it you don't look cold at all? It's got to be nearly zero right now!"  
"Huh?" Vash looked up at her shaking form. Suddenly a switch turned on in his head. "Ohhh! I almost forgot!" Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small leather case with a buckle on the front. He held it up to her and smiled his sixty billion double dollar smile. "This ought to help. Sorry, I always carry it around, so I nearly forgot I had it this time."  
Meryl frowned at him before reaching out a hand to snatch the stupid bag from him, but when she had barely even touched the leather, she pulled her hand away in shock. "It...it's warm!" she yelped.  
"Yup. This stuff has really saved me a few times out on the open desert when I've had no shelter like this." Vash flicked open the buckle and pulled back the flap. Leaning in closer to the opening, Meryl could just make out a blue gel-like substance, almost like a bubble, that glowed with a dull light. She could feel the warmth rising from the shining mass, and she leaned in closer to it, reaching her hands out toward it.  
Vash quickly pulled the bag back from her outstretched hands and closed the flap again.  
"Hey! What gives!" she bellowed. "I thought you said you were giving that to me to keep me warm!"  
Vash looked at her intently before he spoke. "That stuff was called Gela-therm 21. It is a gelatinous thermal reactor with a type R-6 field container around it. If you had touched it directly, you'd have been burnt to a crisp in 10.34 seconds exactly."  
Meryl just about fell over from surprise. She stared at him open mouthed as he packed the Gela-therm back into the leather bag and readjusted the straps. Since when was Vash the peeping, doghnut scarfing, basketball head, doofus...smart. And, since when did he worry about loud- mouthed Meryl's, safety?  
*He worries about everyone, stupid, it doesn't mean anything.* she thought to herself. Slowly, she relaxed and sat down in front of him suspiciously.  
"Here," he held the secured bag out to her, "you can touch it now. Don't worry, you won't get burned, it's a special case."  
Gingerly, Meryl reached out and grasped the small bag in her hands. Instantly, she felt the warmth travel from her hands, up her arms, and spread like water throughout her whole body. She sighed in relief and hugged the bag close to her stomach, breathing deeply and contentedly.  
"Th-thank you..." she whispered. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. It wasn't all your fault that we got so lost. I should have checked the map to." she apologized.  
"Don't worry about it," he said, taking another small leather bag out from his knapsack and strapping it around his waist. "No harm done, Meryl."  
She felt her breath stop in her throat, and every partial in her body stood at attention.  
He had called her by her real name! Not insurance girl.  
He said her name.  
Really said it.  
She slowly looked up at him. He was staring down at the open bag attached to his torso. Was it just her imagination, or was he.... blushing?  
Meryl shook her head to clear it. The sudden warmth was making her drowsy. *Come on, Meryl, snap out of it already. Cripes! It's just your imagination running wild again. You're just a friend, remember! He doesn't care about you like...like that.* she bit her lip and glanced back up at Vash. He was fiddling around inside the leather case with the Gela-therm, but he showed no signs of bursting into flame, or any discomfort at all. She wondered if it was because he...  
...wasn't human.  
"So...how come you can touch It." she asked in a softer tone of voice. "Does it hurt?"  
"Nope! Can't feel a thing, actually, if I use this hand." he said cheerfully, holding up his artificial left arm. "I guess you could call it a blessing in disguise, really. It's programmed to react to extreme hot and cold and absorb the temperatures. I can also set it to any level of sensitivity I want. One of the perks of not being a...well...not being like everybody else..." he trailed off.  
Stupid, stupid, stupid...Meryl thought, mentally slapping herself in the head. Why did she have to go remind him of something that was obviously painful for him to think about? No wonder he didn't care for her, she abused him so much.  
*I'm sorry*. she thought with a heavy heart. *I'm so sorry, Vash.*  
Vash snapped the leather bag shut and leaned back against the wall. His eyes were on the grimy window. They looked so sad. Meryl shifted in her seat and moved so she was leaning up against the same wall as him. With the heat pack, she was actually getting a little too warm now, and she uncovered her shoulders from the blanket. She'd taken off her usual tunic before they started out on the journey and was wearing a sleeveless version with a high neck and clasped front. The cold air on her skin felt strangely good now.  
Vash glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled. But, it was an empty smile.  
"So, insurance girl, what are you planning to do when we get to Halavere City?"  
So, they were back to "insurance girl" again.  
"Oh, I don't know for sure." Meryl sighed, "I'm suppose to report to the local post and receive my new assignment. Since Milly has been exclusively assigned to follow you by herself now, the company is going to give me another disaster prevention job. Err! I mean...another job..."  
Vash didn't answer, but his hands played absently with the buckle on the leather bag.  
"So...what are you going to do when you get back to the house?" Meryl asked quickly.  
He smiled sadly and leaned his had back on the wall. "I guess I'll keep trying to get Knives to come around," he said with a small laugh.  
"Oh..." she nodded, remembering the day that Vash had wandered back into town with his comatose brother on his shoulder. The viscous killer who had destroyed thousands of lives, the self-proclaimed annihilator of mankind, the big-ass baby who couldn't stand getting a shot... Yeah, the killer plant was really a wimp when it came down to his own pain. Meryl gave a small snort of laughter as she recalled how scared she had been when she first saw him, and how Milly had raced right in with no fear at all. Since then, Milly had taken over caring for Vash's brother up until he woke.  
"How do you think Milly is getting along with Knives right now?" Meryl asked with a smirk.  
"Oh, I'll bet she's just fine. It's Knives I'm worried about. I hope she doesn't abuse him too much," Vash laughed. Milly was the only person, besides Vash, who had any control over the sulky plant. Knives seemed to loose his touch for destruction when he was around Milly, and Milly was able to keep him on a pretty short leash because of it.  
"Yeah," Meryl laughed, "Milly's pretty amazing all right. Sometimes I forget how smart and capable she really is. You and her are a lot alike really...uh..." Meryl stopped and glanced at Vash, blushing pink in the process. "W-what I meant to say was...your, uh, personalities are real similar."  
Vash raised his eyebrows and stared at her with a strange expression before he broke into a loud gaffough. "It's alright, don't sweat it!" he chuckled with a big grin on his handsome face. "Getting a compliment from you is like winning a game of poker with a royal flush. It doesn't happen too often, so it makes it extra special!"  
"Uh...yeah...right." Meryl said as her eyebrow twitched. It was just like him to mixed praise with dumb comment like that. She never knew if he was being completely honest with her or not.  
Except for that one time...*That's why you can't follow me...*  
Meryl's heart still tightened when she remembered his words to her the day that Wolfwood was killed.  
"Vash?" she began carefully, tightening her grip on her own legs.  
"Mmhum?" he replied with his head down as if he knew what was coming.  
"Why did you want to come with me this time?"  
She waited for a response. Nothing.  
As discreetly as she could, Meryl shifted her eyes toward him. He was staring down at the leather bag in his lap, eyes wide, his mouth was slightly open and his fingers were clamped around the metal buckle on the front flap. He looked...frozen. Something was wrong.  
"Vash?" she leaned in toward him.  
Suddenly, his whole body shivered violently, making Meryl jump back in surprise. "What! What is it, Vash!" she yelped.  
"I'm soooo c-c-cold!" he said through chattering teeth. "My heat packs not w-working any more!Erghhhhhh! It's frickin' freezing in here! " he whined pitifully, shaking the bag close to his ear as if listening for broken parts. "No way! This can't be happening, this thing is suppose to have a half life of a thousand years!"  
Turning the leather bag upside down, he dumped out the gel bubble and it hit the dirt floor with a dull smack. It was black and lifeless, and gave off no heat at all. Vash gaped at the cold blob on the floor and sat back down with a thud, wrapping the heavy blanket around himself and giving another shudder from the cold. "Just great!" he cried pitifully, "Why does this kind of thing always happen to me? What'd I do to deserve this! It's not bad enough I always get picked on, now I'm gonna freeze to death out here! Maaann!"  
Meryl sweat dropped. *Geez, I forgot how much of a baby he can be?* she thought as she watched him hop up and down in his seat and rub his arms spastically with his hands to stay warm.  
He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice at first when Meryl laid her hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it.  
"Relax you crazy idiot," she said in a calm voice, "we can share." She held out the second leather heat pack.  
Vash stared wide-eyed into her face as if he couldn't believe his own ears. "What?"  
"I said, we can share this, doofus. You don't think I'm going to let you freeze to death out here do you? I can't very well carry you back to town.. Besides, this is yours to begin with. I'd be freezing too if it wasn't for you."  
"Uh, well...are you sure?" Vash stammered turning noticably red in the face, "What I mean is...we're going to have to get kinda close to both use it, you know."  
Meryl felt her face burn again. "Yeah, I know." she said shyly. "What am I suppose to do though, let you die. I guess I'll just have to trust you to behave yourself, won't I." Meryl gave him a 'touch me in the wrong place and your dead' look.  
"Eeep! Yes ma'am!" Vash saluted sheepishly.  
Meryl unhooked the leather bag from around her waist and held it out toward Vash who placed his hands on either side of the small satchel. Instantly, Meryl felt a loss of warmth until only her hands and arms were at all comfortable. Vash seemed to be having the same problem since he hadn't stopped shivering.  
"This isn't working." she growled, "all the heat is being lost like this. We have to get closer to the bag."  
Gingerly, they both scooted together until their shoulders were barely touching. Extremely conscious of each others close proximity. Both of their hands were wrapped around the bag, but still it wasn't enough.  
"I'm still cold," Meryl groaned, "Besides, we can't stay like this with our hands up all night, this is stupid. All the heat is escaping into the air!"  
"We could...uh..." he began nervously, "...well, if we both got under one blanket and, uh, put the Gela-therm in between us...none of the heat would escape...right?"  
Meryl narrowed her eyes at him.  
"Or maybe not!" he gulped. "Uh...never mind! Dumb idea! Sorry! Forget I said it, maybe we could..."  
"Ok." Meryl said, stopping Vash in mid-sentence. He gapped up at her. "You're right, it's the only way to keep warm enough to survive." she said flatly, not meeting his eyes.  
"Uh...right." he managed.  
The two of them wiggled out of their blankets, shivering from the increased cold. Vash took his slightly bigger blanket and laid it down on the dirt floor. Then they both sat down in the middle and he pulled the edges of the thick material over their shoulders, covering them completely. Vash felt Meryl's side pressed up against his. Her shoulder, her hip, her leg, all lay next to his own. He tried to move as little as possible.  
She was so stiff, he wanted her relax against him.  
As soon as the blanket was closed, Meryl felt the complete warmth return to her body. But it was nothing compared to the heat that came from being pressed against Vash's side. The close contact with his body made her blush even more intensely, and Meryl felt herself tense with excitement and her heart thrummed. The heat bag was laid down so it was half on her lap and half on Vash's, with both their hands still clasped over the top. Vash moved to adjust the bag a little and his hand brushed hers. She drew in a sharp breath.  
Vash cleared his throat and croaked out, "You ok?"  
"Fine."  
"You sure?"  
"I said I was fine!" she barked.  
"Ok, ok. Sorry."  
The minutes passed like hours to Meryl as she continued to feign being comfortable. But every time she shifted or moved her sore limbs, she would brush against an arm or a leg, or part of his chest. And she could feel his body tense with each contact. *Is he really that uncomfortable being this close to me?* she thought sadly. She tried catching his eye a couple of times, but his long blonde hair had fallen and was hanging over his face. Meryl sighed.  
"Still ok?" he said softly, making her jump a little.  
"Uh-huh. You?"  
"Sure. But, uh, my arm is falling asleep, propped up like this."  
Meryl flexed her own arm and sure enough, "Mine too, actually." she laughed slightly.  
"I'm afraid this won't work." he said with a sad smile, "Maybe you should just hang onto this, I'll be alright."  
"No!" she yelped, a little too quickly, "What I mean is, we just have to find a way to sit that's comfortable, you dork! Look, just...uh...put your arm around me and I'll move over a bit so I'm in front, that way our arms won't be bent in an uncomfortable way, ok." She bit her lip and waited earnestly for his response.  
"S-sure." Vash stammered, setting a new red-in-the-face record.  
"Ok, then." she replied. What was with him? He was usually so foreword with girls. Well...pretty girls anyway. Maybe that was it, maybe she just wasn't pretty enough.  
Carefully, he lifted his arm so it looped over Meryl's shoulder and around her arm, pulling her into him. She shifted up a bit so her back could rest up against Vash's black clad chest and shoulder. The leather bag slid so it was mostly in his lap now. Meryl slowly relaxed her head so it rested on his large pectoral muscle and her hands grasped the smooth leather of the bag. The two friends both sat stiff and tense for a couple minutes. Then Vash sighed deeply and relaxed against the wall.  
"You're right," he said, "this is...better."  
"See...what did I tell you." Meryl said smugly.  
This is...nice...so nice. And she relaxed as well.  
Vash adjusted his arm so it wrapped around her more completely and Meryl leaned into his chest slightly, breathing deeply the scent of leather and gunpowder and fresh soap that was Vash. How often had she dreamed of just his situation, being close to him, laying in his embrace, even if it wasn't out of love? Just touching him and being touched by him. Ever since he had hugged her that day when he was almost killed, she had obsessed over the sensation of his body against hers, desperate to feel it again. Even if he did swing her around like a monkey the next time, she swore she wouldn't punch him in the head again. If only he would keep touching her like he was right now.  
Her brain finally released her from all her tension and she stroked the leather bag sleepily, reveling in the warmth it gave. His artificial hand came up to rest over hers. So warm, so peaceful, so...perfect.  
Vash grunted slightly and Meryl looked up into his face. His eyes were tightly shut and his mouth was set in a thin line. He seemed to be concentrating on something.  
*What's with him, now? Is the bag too hot?*  
Suddenly, Meryl realized exactly where the leather bag was sitting...  
...and what it was sitting on.  
In all their shifting about, the bag had moved so it was completely in Vash's lap, and since it was filled with gel, every movement could still be felt through the bag. She froze in terror and turned a brilliant shade of red. She hadn't just been stroking the bag.  
Vash's eyebrows knitted together and he held his breath when she pulled her hands away from the leather. He didn't have the courage to tell her what her hands were unknowingly doing when she first started. Besides, it had felt so good. Slowly he opened his eyelids and looked at Meryl with cloudy eyes. The world came screeching to a halt as his sky blue meet her steely gray. A look of tender longing. How long had he dreamt of something like this, from anybody. But, it was different with her. It meant so much more somehow. Vash felt his heart hammer not only from arousal, but from another emotion that he hadn't felt in decades. So beautiful...so delicate...so...  
...so pissed off!  
He jumped up out of his seat just in time to avoid a swinging right punch.  
"You unbelievable pervert!" Meryl screeched like a banshee. "I knew this was a bad idea! Urrgghh! Why am I not surprised? You'll chase anything in a skirt you dirty jerk!  
"Ah! Sorry, I'm sorry! Really! I just didn't know how to stop you!"  
"Didn't know how to stop me! You blinking idiot, that's a likely story! I've seen you when you're on a hormonal rampage, looking up girl's skirts and peeking in their bathroom windows! This whole thing was just a set up wasn't it?! I can't believe I was so stupid!"  
"H-hey! It's NOT like that, honest!" Vash held up his hands in defense.  
"Shut up!" Meryl shut her eyes.  
*But it IS like that,* she thought, *you don't love me, Vash, you'll never really love me, not like her. That's why I can't give in, even if I want to. It's your fault, for making me want you. You...you bastard...*  
"Meryl?" he said with hurt in his voice.  
She cringed. He had said her name again, but this time it hurt to hear it. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.  
"Meryl...?" he said tenderly, reaching for her hand.  
No. Stop it. Hurt him.  
"Put a sock in it you plant bastard!" she screamed, slapping his hand away and storming off to the farthest corner of the room with her blanket. "I'd rather die from the cold than let you touch me again you perverted unhuman asshole!" She threw herself down against the wall and completely covered herself in the blanket, hiding her whole head in the dark cave of material.  
Instantly, she realized the horribleness of what she had said to him. Unhuman, it wasn't even a real word, but it was probably the worst thing she could have ever called him.  
Unhuman? Vash sat stock still, shock written on his face. Was that what she really thought of him? Then it was true. Worst fears always hit you when you're least prepared. He had been a fool in thinking she could ever care about a...thing...like him.  
That she could ever...love him.  
Doing the best Meryl could to bite back the guilty tears that threatened to fall, she hugged herself as tightly as she could to battle the ragging cold that overtook her again. Shivering from the loss of heat, both from his body and the leather heat pack, Meryl concentrated on breathing as calmly as she could.  
Why did she react like that? It's not like she hadn't ever fantasized about Vash before. Why did she go off on him like that?  
The answer was that she wanted more than pure physical contact from him.  
She wanted so much more.  
*Don't think about it,* she told herself. *It would never have worked. It could never be real love. He'll never...never love you like...like you love him.* Meryl felt her heart break the moment she accepted the truth. She loved him. She loved Vash. And she had lost him now, forever.  
A good hour passed by, but neither of them made any move to talk to the other. Meryl kept her head buried under the blanket, shivering and shaking. After a while, her little cave of solitude became so stuffy, she felt she couldn't take it anymore.  
That's when she heard it.  
A soft hiccup at first, the sound carried gently from the other side of the room. It took her a minute to realize what it was.  
Crying.  
No, sobbing. Sobbing from the heart. Sobbing that was being suppressed as much as it possibly could be; as if the person crying was trying as heard as they could not to be discovered. But it was too much for them. The pain escaped in short soft choking bursts and sniffs. It was a heart wrenching sound.  
Meryl slowly peered out from under her blanket and her own bleary eyes focused on Vash. He was sitting against the wall with his blanket in a pile on the floor, leaving his body completely exposed to the cold and slightly blue. The leather heating pack lay abandoned in the middle of the floor where she had flung it. She couldn't see his face; it was buried in his hands. But, she could see his mouth and his teeth, which were clenched together tightly. Tears poured out from under his hands and ran down his chin, dripping and pooling along his neck and chest. His shoulders shook, but not from the cold. The sight broke her heart all over again.  
Forgetting her own anger and pain, Meryl stood and shuffled over to where he was.  
"Vash?" she whispered. Her bottom lip quivered slightly when he didn't respond. It was too much for her to take.  
I'm so sorry.  
"Vash, stop it Vash...please stop..." Meryl fell down in front of him and covered his hands with her own. A loud burst of crying came from his throat when she touched him, and Meryl felt her own tears slid down her cheeks. "Please...stop..." she rasped "...please, Vash." she tried prying his hands away from his face, but they wouldn't budge. She was scared now.  
  
"Vash...look at me please...please..."  
But he refused to met her eyes and instead let out shuddering breath, "I...I'm sorry," he choked through his tears. "I'm..sorry..."  
"Vash," Meryl cried out as she flung her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder, releasing all her anger, pain, and longing, "You stupid..." she wailed, "It's not a big deal, really! I'm not m-mad...it's ok...I'm not angry w-with you. I'd c-could never hate you, you idiot. Please stop crying..I can't stand it...I'm so sorry, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm sorry I called you so many awful things...It's not your f- fault...God, I should have told you! I'm so sorry, Vash, please f-forgive me. I'm so sorry...so sorry...so...so...uunh..." Meryl couldn't go on anymore when she felt Vash's tear soaked hands grab her back and crush her into his embrace.  
For a long while, the two of them sat there in each other's arms, wrapped in each other's pain and comfort, oblivious to the cold. Eventually, their sobs subsided and they relaxed in each other's arms, sniffing occasionally and gently caressing each other for comfort. Weakly, Meryl lifted her head up and looked into Vash's face. Her heart fluttered in her chest.  
He was looking at her with that strange expression again. His eyes were red and puffy from all the crying but they also held a soft light that warmed her more than that stupid heat pack.  
*I could live in that look...* she thought. She reached out a hand to touch his face, and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and sighing. He was so perfect, gentle, and....cold...  
"Vash, you're freezing," Meryl said with panic, "you're skin is like ice!" She looked around for the leather pouch and snatched it off the floor along with her blanket and his. Vash watched her mutely, with a strange stillness she did not like. Just how long had he been this cold? Tenderly, Meryl tucked Vash's blanket behind his back and around his shoulders. He was so cold.  
She smiled warmly, "All right drama queen," she said softly, "I know a way for us both to be warm, as long as you behave yourself this time," she chuckled weakly. Vash smiled sadly and closed his eyes.  
Meryl set the leather bag in Vash's blue hands. Immediately, the color began to come back and he shivered uncontrollably from the change in temperature. Without wasting a moment, Meryl adjusted his legs so he was sitting Indian style, then she situated herself on his lap, pulling her blanket up over her shoulders and resting her head on his chest. His heartbeat pounded in her ear.  
"Put your arms around me," she whispered.  
Vash hesitantly looped his strong arms around Meryl's smaller frame, pressing her to him and causing the warmth to envelop them both completely. They melted into each other, exhausted from the mental stress of the past couple hours. *Even if he doesn't love me, there's nothing to stop me from pretending tonight*. she thought and snuggled into the soft material of his shirt. A few minutes later she was asleep.  
The outlaw slowly saw his vision come back into focus as warmth coursed through his body. The sudden rushes of heat made his skin tingle intensely. He gazed down at the thick head of black hair nestled under his chin and inhaled the scent deeply. Lavender.  
How did he feel about Meryl, really? What was she to him?  
Vash remembered how he had felt when she told him not to touch her ever again. The thought sent a chilly wave through his stomach. It had felt like...like when Rem had died. It was the same feeling of hopelessness and despair. What was the connection, he questioned, between Rem and Meryl. *I've almost got it,* he thought, *I just need a little more time*.  
His hand stroked her hair tenderly and she sighed against his body. The vibration sent electric currents through his system and he closed his eyes.  
From the edge of sleep, Vash heard her whisper something.  
"...Vash..." she breathed, suspended in a dream, "mnn...love you..."  
He knew it before she said it.  
"That's it." he said quietly.  
As gently as he could, he readjusted Meryl's body so her back was lying against his chest. Then, slowly, he brought his knees and arms up around her and encased her in a circle of his own body. His hands moved around her waist and his head came down to rest on her shoulder, and he cried.  
This time, he cried quiet tears of happiness. She loved him.  
That was what he had always wanted, without realizing it.  
He fell asleep with his lips pressed to the soft skin of her shoulder in a dreamless kiss.  
  
*************************************************************************** All right kids, you go to bed. Adults, you can stay up late for the next episode. Milly: (wiping eyes with a hanky) Oh that was so sweet! I just love those two. I knew they would get together sometime. Love is so wonderful! Wolfwood: Great, now the mushy stuff is over they can get onto the shagging! Milly: Dear...? (smiling sweetly) Wolfwood: Yes, honey? Milly: (Pulls stun gun out from behind her back) Wolfwood: Waaa! I mean, go love and pudding! Milly: That's better, dear. Wolfwood: Whoo-ee. On to round two.  
  
(Coming soon.after the almighty spell check has it's way with me.) 


	2. Survive the Night Hot

Welcome back, you lovely people. Thank you for the kind reviews. This will be the last chapter because it wiped me out. It is a Lemon with a capitol L. La lalallalalalala Lemon, underlined, highlighted, and boldfaced. Enough warning? We certainly hope so. Adult pool time^-^  
  
Chapter 2  
It must have been only a few hours later when Meryl opened her eyes. The first thing she was aware of was the body pressed up against her own, and then...  
".ugh..it's hot..." she groaned.  
The low moonlight sent a hazy glow in through the grimy windows, making the room look like it was being baked. The weight of the leather heat pack sat like a big glowing ember in her lap. Quickly, Meryl threw the bag out from under the blanket, instantly feeling refreshed. She tried to get up and stretch her lame muscles, but found something was holding her back. Glancing down, Meryl saw Vash's strong hands clasped around her torso in a possessive hold. She craned her neck around and looked up into Vash's sleeping face. His eyes were closed and his hair hung down limply in front of them. He was breathing slowly and steadily from his slightly open mouth.  
  
*He looks so peaceful.* Meryl thought, *It would be a shame to wake him up now*. Happily, she snuggled back into the envelope of his body. *Besides, this could be the last time you'll ever get to be this close to him, so better live it up now.*  
When the sun rises and they reach Halavere City, she might never see him again. She would be assigned to another job, another life, and she would have to forget all about the humanoid typhoon. It wouldn't have worked out anyway. He was, after all, the 60 billion double dollar man, an amazing gunfighter with a dazzling and sexy smile...well, when he wasn't being a doofus. And she, well, she was just a boring old insurance girl with a bitchy personality and loud mouth. How could she ever have imagined he would fall for her?  
It made her dream last night all the more depressing.  
In it, she told him she loved him and he had, par for the course, cried. But this time it was because he loved her as well. After which....  
Meryl blushed as the memory of the dream. If only she could relive that sleeping fantasy, if only this was still a dream. She imagined his hands, clasped tightly around her waist, moving down towards her legs and up along her sides, lovingly stroking and caressing her body. Just the thought made her squirm a little.  
"It's just a dream..." she sighed and closed her eyes.  
It will always be just a dream.  
She had wanted to tell him how she felt the moment he had come back from the fight with Knives, but of course he had been too concerned over his brother so Meryl had just put it off...and put if off.... and put it off, until finally, she felt the window of opportunity slip away. Coward, she called herself. Weak. Vash needs someone strong. And now, it's too late.  
"If...if only I could have told you." she breathed as quietly as she could.  
All at once, Meryl's eyes shot open!  
The hands around her waist were moving. Moving just the way she had dreamed.  
She sat perfectly still as one hand made it's way down over her hip to gently stroke her thigh through the material of her skirt. The other hand traveled up her side and crept up over the opposite shoulder, grasping it tenderly and pushing her back slightly. Meryl thought she was going to scream when she felt Vash's lips come in contact with the bare skin on her shoulder, and then stay there, tickling her nerves with warm breath. Was it still a dream? Am I still asleep?  
"You're awake." he rumbled deep in his chest causing her to shudder with excitement.  
It was defiantly real! Her mouth worked, but no sound came out.  
Meryl watched the large masculine hand, which was pressed against her leg, as it slowly rubbed up and down in small strokes, causing heat to spread throughout her whole body as she watched. Her checks flushed red at the intimate touch, and she was breathing shallow.  
Vash. What was he doing? Did he think he was still just keeping her warm? Didn't he know this was driving her crazy..?  
"Vash..." she managed to croak out. Stop right where you are, Vash, you big womanizer! She had meant to say, but all she could get out was "Vash, you..."  
He smiled on her skin. *You cant' fool me, Meryl,* he thought, *I know how you feel now.*  
Then his right hand came up and began stroking along the thigh of her other leg as well, increasing the heat.  
*Is this for real?* she thought, as she felt him lean his chest onto her back as his hands massaged further down her legs. Vash leaned his face against the back of her head until his nose barely touched her left ear and she could feel his breath on her neck. He encircled her from behind; arms wrapped loosely around her hips as he continued to stroke and kneed her legs, sending electric waves through her stomach. When he spoke, Meryl's entire head vibrated with the sound, and she felt her body nearly rise up off the floor with anticipation.  
"V-vash....you...."  
"What is it, Meryl? What is it you want to tell me?" He already knew what it was, even if she never told him directly. No more playing the shy guy. Now was the time, time for him to force it out of her. He could sense it, see it, smell it on her skin, her desire for him. He could almost touch it...  
Vash licked his lips and pressed a soft kiss against the skin behind her ear. It was at that moment that Meryl lost all control of pretense. She gasped and arched her back, feeling the desire course through her body in a single wave.  
"Uuh. Vash, what are you doing?" she rasped.  
He stopped and immediately she felt sorry for asking the question. With gentle pressure, Vash turned Meryl around in his lap until their faces were a few scant inches apart. Eyes the color of a perfect summer sky gazed into her cloud covered ones with a penetrating stare. It felt like a truth serum.  
Vash raised a hand to stroke her cheek, "I won't ever do anything you don't want me to do, Meryl," he said quietly. "You're too important to me."  
The room suddenly lost cabin pressure.  
Was he saying what she thought he was saying? She braced herself. She had to know for sure.  
"Vash." she started, "You never answered my question, you know. Why did you want to come with me?"  
It was time to tell her.  
"Because.... because I wanted to stay with you as long as I could." Vash said shyly, "Because I thought, maybe, I could convince you not to go."  
Meryl gaped at him. Her heart hammered against her chest as he meet her eyes.  
"Please, don't go Meryl. Don't leave us. We need you."  
"We..." she choked, narrowing her eyes. "What about you, Vash? What do you need?"  
"I..." Vash continued in barely a whisper. "I need you most of all."  
"Why, Vash," she pressed, edging closer, "Why do you need me."  
"Cause," he breathed, taking her face between his hands. The moment stretched out into infinity, "I...love you."  
The dam broke, and Meryl felt all of the pent up emotions from the past two years spill over the causeways of her heart. He loved her, Vash, the humanoid typhoon, the 60 billion $$ outlaw, the feather brained, crazy donut snarffing idiot genius broom headed hunk of a simpering puppy dog...Oh, but it didn't matter which Vash he was, she loved them all at once.  
"I love you, too, Vash...you stupid idiot.." she broke down laughing through her tears of happiness. He held her tenderly in his arms, running his fingers through her thick hair and down her neck. She melted into his body, wrapping her arms around his thin waist and pressing her face into the nape of his neck. The skin there was soft and smooth, and she could feel his pulse racing at his throat. She gently kissed the pounding vein and it drummed all the faster. Tender hands reached under her chin and lifted her face up to his. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Vash leaned foreword and brushed her lips with his own. Meryl closed her eyes and leaned in.  
The kiss was sweet and lingering. His soft mouth pushing against hers, silently pleading for more contact. She granted the request by opening her mouth slightly and letting the moisture on her lips wet their kiss. Her fingers slid up into his silky smooth spikes of hair and she relished petting the soft strands. Meryl felt like she could exist in this moment forever, mouth to mouth with Vash. But then she felt an odd wetness on her cheeks. Breaking the kiss and looking up into his face, she saw that he was crying again. Tears streamed down his cheeks from his deep blue green eyes, which smiled at her from the bottom of his heart.  
"Vash?" she breathed.  
Without speaking, he pulled her into him again and enclosed her in his strong embrace. He covered her neck with kisses. Meryl closed her eyes and leaned her head to give him better access and he blazed a path from her neck up along her jaw line and straight to her lips again. She felt her body thrill with each touch.  
As their mouths worked against each other's softly, Vash's hands moved up and down her bare arms, setting the cool skin there to tingle.  
Meryl moved to touch his scared arm.  
Vash jerked slightly and pulled away from her. Meryl looked up at him; puzzled, thinking for a moment that maybe he had changed his mind.  
An expression of nervous fear was written on his face.  
*He thinks I'm going to reject him, now, because of his body,* she thought.  
Smiling reassuringly, she moved in closer, firmly placing her hand on his scared arm again and caressing the long lines etched into his skin.  
I'm accepting you.  
Vash didn't move this time, but looked at her with wonder. She bent over slightly and placed a tender kiss on the deep scar on his forearm and she heard him inhale sharply. It was a sound of shock, but also one of pleasure. She kissed the scar again and this time Vash relaxed, sighing as he moved to wrap his hands around her waist.  
I accept you.  
Meryl continued kissing up his arm, receiving small groans of pleasure each time she kissed the sensitive scars, as Vash rubbed tiny circles along her back in response.  
God, his lazy hands were driving her crazy! He lowered them to her hips and pulled her up by them. Meryl felt her skirt raise a few inches up her legs and she gasped into his hard shoulder. The thought of possibly going farther with Vash was more than she had anticipated, but still, the prospect was not as frightening as it once had seemed. In fact, now that she knew how he felt about her, she decided that if he asked her, she wouldn't refuse.  
She half hoped he would ask.  
Lifting her up onto his lap, he swung her legs out so she was sitting sideways in-between his crossed legs, and pulled the blanket up over the two of them again. Dim light began to filter in through the cloudy window, casting a warm glow on the two as they quietly kissed and touched beneath the woolen blanket.  
Vash reveled in the feel of her warm skin as he rubbed her neck and shoulders with his real hand. He was still trying to figure out how they got here, in this position. True, it had been a part of his plan to get them stranded together, alone and without heat. But, he had never really thought it would actually work out this way, with Meryl kissing him, unrepulsed by his scars, and reacting to his touch with soft sighs like she was doing now. He thought for sure that she would deck him right in the bean bin if he even so much as touched her like this. But now, she was lying in his lap, a little too close to his lap maybe, but still, the way she was arching her back into his touch and grasping his arms and chest was almost too much for him to handle at the slow pace they were going.  
Could he ask her? Would she say yes, or would the old Meryl come out and pound him instead? When had he realized he wanted this? Right before he left to meet Knives, that's right, just after he had seen Rem in her. But it hadn't been Rem, it was only Meryl. Meryl, whose words had brought him back to life. That was when he knew for sure, he wanted this, wanted her. For as long as he could have her.  
His mouth came down on her collarbone. Meryl clutched the back of his head to her, not wanting him to stop. She was very warm, pressed up against his chest, but it was the kind of heat she wouldn't mind dying from. Snuggling up into his body, she was just about to slide her hands around his sinfully thin waist, when she felt something press into her side. She moved on it experimentally and was surprised to hear Vash grunt low in his throat and momentarily freeze in mid-grope. With a blush, she realized what it was.  
Then she remembered the leather bag, and her unintentional hand job. Battling her inhibitions, she felt her cheeks burn, but did not move away. Instead, she wiggled against him, trying to imagine what it would feel like unencumbered by clothes as she rubbed her side back and forth along it.  
*I should be shocked at my behavior,* she thought, *But, I don't think I could forgive myself if I stopped now,*she grinned in spite of herself, *Besides, how many times will I get to get Vash the Stampede up against the ropes like this. It feels too good...*  
Her movements brought Vash out of his shocked trance and he thrust his face in her shoulder, moaning each time Meryl rubbed herself up on him. Both his arms latched around her tightly as if he was trying to hang onto her to keep from falling. His hands began to wander uncontrollably over her back, arms, and legs, groping her exposed limbs and dipping his fingers briefly under the hem of her shirt and the edge of her short skirt. Meryl felt a surge of electricity at the risks they were both taking.  
She leaned against him hard and he grunted through clenched teeth, doubling over onto the ground and taking her with him. The ground was dense packed earth, but Meryl didn't notice. Vash was sprawled out on top of her, panting for breath. His arms and legs trapped her underneath him, and his hips were pressed up on hers, moving slowly up and down. She felt for the first time the size of his arousal as it rubbed over her hips, "God..." she croaked.  
Vash answered her with a deep groan as he attacked her mouth again.  
Her arms clutched his shoulders with passionate strength as she leaned into him. It was his turn to gasp when he felt her hands trace a path down his back and across his sides. The heat from her hands was enough to send shivers through him, almost as if her fingers were sending a metal image of what was to come...where they would travel to next.  
Groaning into her mouth, Vash slid his anxious tongue over her seeking lips, revealing in the warm slick feel of that open kiss. He pulled back for a moment to catch his breath and Meryl gave a tiny cry of protest. Smiling to himself, he raised a hand to stroke the delicate skin of her neck and she leaned into his touch. His eyes widened at her response and he looked at her with questioning eyes.  
*After everything, he's still so innocent...* she thought. Placing her hand over his, Meryl guided his hand lower, all the while staring into his pure aqua green eyes as if to give him permission to continue.  
Vash's eyes were wide and brilliant, and Meryl could see the question in them.  
"Is this..." he started, "I mean...you sure you want this? There's so many things...I mean...You know I'm not like other people...and my body...it's not..."  
Meryl silenced him by kissing him hard, and sliding her hands up underneath his tight black shirt. It was so like Vash to think so little of himself, to put himself down and think he wasn't good enough. Meryl made up her mind to show him just how good he was. With as much strength as she could muster, she yanked the skintight shirt up his torso and over his shoulders, breaking the kiss momentarily to pull the material over his head and toss it away. She ran her hands over the metal grids and pins and gashes that covered his chest and back, bringing him down against herself to show him that she didn't care about all his imperfections. Vash was tense at first, but when she didn't pull away from him, he relaxed his muscles and sighed, his good hand resting on her breast.  
"Does that answer your question, you perv." she laughed lightly into his ear.  
Giving her a playful kiss on the nose, he leaned back and fiddled with the top button on her shirt. "Your turn." he said, grinning. Meryl's heart hammered as he carefully undid each button and parted the light material from her body. The look of wonder on his face was almost funny. Almost like...  
*He's never done this before...*  
Slowly, his fingers trailed down her chest, coming to rest in-between her breasts and lightly caressing the spot. Meryl stopped breathing as she concentrated on the feeling she knew was coming. She closed her eyes and moaned lightly as Vash brushed his hand across the soft skin of her breast, stopping to hold it in his palm. She arched her back, desperate for more. He was in awe of his own ability to produce these wonderful sounds from her.  
He complied by gently lowering his mouth to hers again, this time barely brushing his lips against hers. Letting the heat from their mouths linger on each other's senses as she licked his lips and tasted his mouth with her tongue. The hand that cupped her breast moved and he began to rub her nipple through the cloth of her bra with his thumb. Meryl moaned louder and deepened the kiss. The delicious sensation he was causing from within her making her move against him again.  
Vash groped at her back, looking for the latch of her bra. That clumsy ox. Thank God for front clasp bras. With a flick of her fingers, Meryl unhooked the metal and the flimsy piece of material joined Vash's shirt on the floor.  
There was no longer any shyness or hesitation. Vash was on her in a second, kissing and tasting her with a starved kind of hunger. The wetness of his tongue combined with the cool air, made her nipples tighten, a physiological response, which Vash was utterly enthralled by. Meryl let her fingers grasp his spiky hair as he circled her with his tongue, closing in.  
  
When he found her, Meryl gave a small cry and clutched at his backside, pulling him onto her, pressing up against him. The feeling of his warm skin mixed with cold steel mesh on her bare body was intoxicating. She slid her hands into his pants.  
"Hngg.." was all Vash managed to get out before she grabbed his muscular backside, kneading the flesh and pulling it closer to her still. Vash stopped and raised his eyes up to meet hers. He watched her intently as he reached down between them and ran his good hand up her inner thighs, spreading them apart. Meryl saw the desire burning in his sea blue eyes as they gazed at her, making her want him more than ever.  
She wrapped her legs up over his hips and roughly pulled him down on her, grinding her hips up on his. Vash began moving on her, rubbing himself in-between her legs through the thin material of his pants. Meryl's skirt had hiked itself up over her thighs a while ago. Both of them rocked together in a steady rhythm, mimicking the act they both ached to perform with dry thrusts.  
Meryl could see Vash, his eyes were closed tightly and his mouth was open as he panted quietly, deep in the sensations. Glistening moisture was beading his brow and his silky hair feel in front of his face. The sight was euphoric.  
*He looks like an angel...* she thought.  
Just then the moving hardness between her legs found a spot that caused her to lose her train of thought completely. "God.."  
Again.  
Meryl threw her head back, reveling in the waves of heat that radiated through her.  
Again.  
"Oh...Vash..." he raised his head to look at her, never stopping his movements. He could sense her temperature rising, and knew she was close to something. The sensations building from the friction of their bodies was making his body feel like it was on fire. Pulling at him was both the desire to make it last as long as possible and the desire to get to the end as fast as possible. But, when he looked down at Meryl, her head flung back, her neck flushed with excitement, and her mouth open, he could think of nothing else but to please her.  
"Meryl," he breathed huskily, "tell me what you want me to do...please."  
Her hazy brain barely registered what he had just asked her, but there was one thing she had wanted ever since she and Milly had walked in on him that day on accident.  
"I want to see you," she said into his ear, caressing the inside of it with her tongue, "All of you."  
Vash pulled back slightly, his brow was furrowed. Meryl could tell he was nervous. But he just gave her a nervous smile and nodded his head.  
He sat back and began to unlatch the many buckles on his massive boots, tossing them and his socks to the side. He moved to his belt, but froze when he felt another pair of hands at his waist. They flicked his hands away and tugged at the thin strip of leather. Meryl leaned in close and kissed him, running her mouth over his neck and up to his parted lips.  
"Let me." she said through the kisses.  
Vash could only nod dumbly. Her small hands pushed him back with ease, and she straddled his legs. Soft black hair tickled his torso as Meryl bent down and placed kisses all over his chest and stomach. Vash closed his eyes and clenched his hands on the blanket under them, his heart was racing madly. When she reached his belt, Meryl slid her fingers under the waistline of his pants, tugging slightly; she placed some kisses just under the edge of the material. Feeling him shiver in response was one of the most erotic sensations she'd ever had.  
Running her hand over the zipper of his tight black pants earned a strained whimper from the gunman beneath her. She continued her torture, tracing his length through the restraining material, which pulled taunt as he grew harder from her touch. Vash bucked his hips up toward her hand on her last pass, giving a whine like a hungry dog. "Meryl..." he managed hoarsely.  
All right, no more teasing. Meryl pulled the zipper down and thrust her hands inside. Vash arched his back, moaned through his clenched teeth when she whipped his constraining pants off in record time and grasped him tightly, rubbing her hands up and down his body. His legs were just as scared as the rest of him, but Meryl found the feel of skin mixed with metal intoxicating. She blushed when she saw his arousal, and breathed a sigh of relief. No scars there. He must have worked diligently at protecting that particular piece of anatomy, along with his face. As lightly as she could, she trailed her fingers delicately from base to tip and back again, repeated with more pressure the next time, until her whole hand was wrapped around him, stroking him quickly.  
"God..ah..." Vash inhaled sharply. So this was what it was like. For being such a notorious skirt chaser, he had never actually been this far with a woman before. Watching her as she pumped her hand on him was the most amazing sight he had ever seen. Much more stimulating than when he did it himself. But it was almost too good; he was going to lose it soon if she kept this up. He reached his good hand down to stop her.  
"Please," he panted, catching hold of her wrist, "not yet."  
"What?" she looked a little surprised. Vash smiled, and leaned against her, catching her against the wall and his body.  
"One good turn deserves another," he growled in her ear. Meryl shivered as his tongue came out to dart across that ear, and trailed down her neck. She almost didn't notice as his hands unhooked the buttons on her skirt, tugging the crumpled piece of clothing off her legs.  
It was still cold inside the little shack, but Vash's hands left such a blaze of heat, Meryl felt she was burning from the inside out. His fingers brushed back and forth along her sides and stomach in a lazy heated dance, making the little hairs on her arms stand up straight. The calloused pads of his hands slid over her hips, and Meryl instinctively spread her legs apart, arching her hips upwards toward his hands, a mute plea.  
Grinning like a fool, Vash engulfed her tight nipple in his mouth, and at the same time, inched his good hand down the front of her underwear, slipping the thin covering off of her. His lips worked on her breasts as his fingers stroked her in-between her legs, gently, slowly...torturously. She was already wet from all the foreplay they had engaged in, eyes shut tightly, and her breathing was coming in short, shallow gasps now.  
Exploring this intimate part of her was fascinating to the outlaw. It was a completely new exprierence for him. Not that he didn't know what to do now, he had read enough and caroused enough with the drunks in various town, that he had heard about lots of very useful tricks which he intended on storing away in his brain until the opportune moment. And here it was. The fact that he would be sharing his first time with her, with someone he loved, made it even more exciting.  
His middle digit found her opening and he circled his finger around until it finally pressed inside. Meryl's breath caught in her throat and her legs tensed around his sides. It felt painful...but somehow it felt wonderful as well, like she wanted more of him. Raising her hips up made Vash's finger slid tightly inside of her, causing her to clamp her inner muscles around it. Meryl wondered if this is what making love to Vash would feel like. She had been nervous at first, because the most she had ever done was to kiss and occasionally fondle a little bit. But this was heads and tails over all her previous snogging sessions.  
Vash began moving his finger in and out, slowly.  
"God, Meryl," he said deeply, "you're so tight...." he suddenly brought his head up from her breasts. "What a minute, are you a... you know."  
"Mmmhmm." Meryl nodded through covered eyelids. "It's all right, I want it to be you." she pulled him down to the ground. He smiled into her eyes.  
"Me to," Vash sighed as he crushed his mouth against hers.  
At the same time his hands spread apart her legs further and he positioned himself at her entrance. The tip of his member pressed against the slickness of her opening, slipping back and forth over her center. Meryl's heart thrummed with anticipation. Was she really here, preparing herself to make love to the humanoid typhoon? A sudden idea seized her.  
"Wait". She said, stopping Vash right before he made his first thrust. Now it was his turn to look surprised.  
"Huh? Is something wrong, Meryl? Do you wannnahhmm..." she stopped him in mid sentence, pushing him back on the hard ground, and letting her small hands grab onto his length again. She placed kisses down from his neck to his scared chest and continued lower. Vash's breath caught in his throat when he realized what she was about to do.  
"Meryl...what are you..."  
"Shhh," she whispered against his stomach, "don't talk anymore."  
He wasn't about to argue with her. His eyes closed.  
The only sensation Vash was aware of was Meryl's tickling hair over his abdomen, her soft hands clutching at his hips, and her faint breath over his arousal. The breath came closer, until it was right on top of him. He felt her pause, unmoving for what seemed like forever. The anticipation made his body thrill and his heart bang against his chest.  
Then he felt the warmth of her mouth as she tentatively licked the head of his penis, fascinated by its silky texture and taste. A sharp moan escaped Vash's throat, and his hands shot out to tangle themselves in her hair. Meryl continued circling her tongue around his tip, taking time to flick the edge of the soft head and rub her tongue over it's opening, tasting the salty precum. Vash tightened his grasp on her hair when her felt her take this head into her mouth, sucking gently, almost teasingly. His mouth was opened, and he was panting, desperately trying to stay in control of his over stimulated body.  
Her mouth slid down, taking more of his length into it. Vash bucked his upward on instinct, teeth clenched together in concentration. The warm wetness of her mouth was starting to send him over the edge. He couldn't hold on much longer. He moved to stop her again, but she only held onto his hands and started sucking as fast and hard as she could.  
Just then, Meryl moaned deep in her throat and sucked him in as much as she could. The vibrations on his shaft made Vash open his mouth in a silent gasp raise his hips off the ground, and cum hard into her mouth. White light flashed through his vision and his entire body felt like it was rising up off the ground for several glorious seconds. Slowly, his body ceased it's after-orgasmic shaking, and the world came back into focus. He never remembered feeling so relaxed and peaceful.  
"Mmmeryl," he hummed, reaching down to find her. But his hands only grabbed air. Confused, he propped himself up on his elbows and tried focusing his dizzy eyes. The fuzzy light from the dingy windowpanes was slowly filtering into the little shack, making the room glow. Meryl's bare skin caught the beams of dusty light, and she lit up like a plant, or an angel. But it was her back that Vash saw first. She was turned away from him, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around herself.  
"Meryl..." he whispered gently, reaching out to touch her. As soon as he made contact with her skin, he felt the muscles underneath jump with tension. A hushed choke came from the small woman, almost like she was....  
"Shhhh, don't cry." Vash said sweetly, enclosing her in his arms from behind. Somehow, he knew it would all be all right now. She had let go of her emotions, at last, letting her tears fall, not because she regretted anything, but...  
"I'm sorry...I, I don't know why I'm c-crying. I'm...not sad, really. It's just..." Meryl turned in Vash's grasp and nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck.  
Vash held onto her with strong arms, "It's ok, you can tell me." he chuckled. "It won't change how I feel, Meryl." She sighed, squeezing her arms around his waist.  
"It's just...that I'm scared...that I won't be able to keep you." her voice was barely louder than a breeze, but it hit Vash like a ton of bricks. She was a human, he was a Plant. She would die of old age, long before he started getting his first gray hairs. He was already four times her age. The thought of losing her, so soon after he had found her was heart wrenching, and Vash felt his own tears begin to escape. They could only cherish their time together.  
As lovingly as he could, Vash lifted Meryl's shaking body onto his lap, cradling her in his arms. His good arm brushed the length of her body, memorizing her as best he could. The memories had to last.  
"I will keep you for as long as I can." He murmured into her mouth as he kissed her, her tears, and her pain away. Lifting her chin up so he could look directly into her swollen eyes, "I do...I do really love you...Meryl...I do..."  
"Me too..." she smiled and kissed him back, opening his mouth to her own.  
The heat quickly returned to their bodies, and soon they sprawled out on the blankets again, kissing and caressing each other with a kind of obsessive fervor.  
Vash trailed his hungry mouth down her body. He was surprised at how fast he stiffened so shortly after his release. Stopping his attention to her chest and stomach, he prepared to part her legs, but Meryl put her hands over his to stop him. Slowly and carefully, she guided his real hand to the apex of her legs, placing one of his digits over the small hard nub of her clitoris. She began moving his finger against it, making sure he could feel it just right. Firmly grasping his other hand, she moved it towards her center and pushed one of his fingers inside of her. Then, she let go of both his hands and looked up into his startled face.  
He started moving his hands in just the way Meryl had wordlessly instructed him. As soon as he did, Meryl began to make small sounds of pleasure and rolled her hips up to meet Vash's fingers as they worked against her, sending fire straight to her brain. She arched her back up. "Faster..." she growled.  
Vash increased his pace, memorized by the beautiful woman writhing beneath him. Her hips thrust up, her face and neck flushed once more, and her hands clutching the blanket. She looked so good, he wondered if he could....  
"Don't move," he breathed, lowering himself down on top of her.  
Meryl's eyes shot open when she felt him replace his fingers on her clit with his warm mouth.  
"Unmmmah, God, don't stop!" she shouted, as he continued to rub his tongue on her and pump his fingers into her at the same time. The wet opening helped him to side two fingers into her and slip in and out easily. The taste and slick feel of her small bud invaded his mouth as he flicked his tongue across it with a passion. He loved how she would raise herself up and spread her legs wide with each insertion of his hand. She was now moving as fast as she could against him. Vash leaned down to catch her orgasm, but she stopped him again.  
"Geez, Meryl, can we finish at least once?" he whined, complete with puppy dog eyes.  
"Yes, Vash," Meryl said seductively, "We're going to finish now."  
The feel of her hands was soft and hot as she gently guided his hardened penis to her opening. Softly, she slid the tip into her wetness, pressing her hips into him until he could feel her barrier against the head.  
"Ready?" he whispered.  
"I love you," she answered.  
With one hard thrust, Vash broke into her, sinking in as deeply as he could. He could almost feel her pain, and his eyes watered at the thought that he had caused her any at all.  
For a while, they simply stayed as they were, resting, one inside the other, placing long kisses on each other's faces. After a time, Meryl moved against Vash again, and found that the hurt was fading, and that she was adjusting to his size inside her. Vash took it as an invitation and began moving slowly. It was incredible, the feeling of being inside another person, inside of her. The tightness, the wet warm pressure on his shaft felt like some kind of sexual intoxication. He began pumping a little harder. She was a drug, and they were both so close to coming again.  
Meryl flung her arms up and around his shoulders, her fingers clutching his scared back and arms in a desperate attempt to hang on. She joined his rhythmic motions when she wrapped her knees over his thighs and threw her body against his, rocking together with Vash, bodies glowing with the risen sun and light sheen of sweat. Every time he pulled out and filled her again, it felt like she died and was reborn in a split second. Vash's lips latched onto hers as their pace increased, each of them thrusting their bodies together, as if trying to become a single entity; one mind, one body. The metal of his chest felt like heated iron against her bare stomach and breasts. Meryl arched into him again and pressed herself fully against the delicious heat. Vash clenched his teeth; eyes shut tight, and lean arms holding her close as he reached his max. He could tell from her pounding heartbeat that she was nearly there again.  
A couple of carefully placed thrusts into her brought Meryl's arms up around his neck and her mouth open as the first intense waves crashed down on her, and she cried out his name over and over. This time, she felt the sensation of weightlessness, her body rising up off the ground as she exploded with the feeling of him. After that, she just surrounded him with her limp arms and legs as he drove himself into her frantically. A few seconds later, the humanoid typhoon was a boneless pile of limbs lying next to her, his last bit of passion spent after he ran himself between her legs and released into her warm wetness.  
They lay collapsed against each other on the worn blanket. The suns were now shining fully into the shack, and the only sound audible was the sound of the heavy panting of the two lovers, trying to catch their breath. Vash flung the other blanket over their exhausted bodies, holding Meryl against him. She snuggled into the warmth of his chest, smelling the same sent of soap, leather, and now, their lovemaking. The scent was wonderful. Breathing a deep contented lung full of air, Meryl craned her neck to look at Vash's peaceful face. He was so innocent looking, still like the otherworldly being that he was. Too perfect for this world. Still, Meryl knew he wasn't as simple as he looked. In fact, she was starting to doubt his word about why he followed her in the first place. Maybe...  
"Vash," she said sleepily.  
"Umm?" he answered, rubbing his face on her cheek and neck like a baby. His arms and legs wound themselves through her own as he placed gentle kisses lazily on her shoulder.  
"About that miscalculation yesterday...How long have you been planning this little...detour?"  
Vash froze, but made no attempt to deny the accusation.  
"Don't tell me you're, mad at me?" he asked nervously.  
Meryl chuckled lightly, "Oh, I guess I can think of some way you can make it up to me, Mr. Hot Pants," she laughed. "Besides, you are an outlaw, aren't you? Embellishing the truth is part of your trade. I guess I'll just have to get used to it."  
"Do you mean..." Vash shifted to gaze into her sparkling gray eyes. "You're not leaving? Do you mean you're staying...with me? What about your job?" he asked hopefully.  
Meryl smirked deviously, "I quit my job three weeks ago, Mr. Stampede."  
The outlaw plant and the small insurance girl lay warm and snug in the dilapidated little shack on the edge of the wild desert. The suns blazed into the cloudy windows, lighting up the kiss they shared like a beacon to the world. Although time may separate them eventually, this moment, at least, would last forever.  
  
Wolfwood: Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about! Let's have some more of that! Milly, did you see...? Uh Milly (looks around), where'd you go? Milly: (appears at the door in skimpy outfit) Wolfie! Wolfwood: (jaw drops onto floor) M-m-m-m-m...(quickly loses ability to speak) Milly: (dragging him off to the bedroom) Come on Nick, I feel inspired! Wolfwood" *Score!* Thank you Mabel!  
  
Whew, I'm spent. Thank to all you beautiful Trigun lovin' fools out there. Love n' Peace, not necessarily in that order^-^ Bye for now. 


End file.
